There was controversy a few months ago when Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald director David Yates said that while the movie would feature Jude Law as a young Dummbledore, he wouldn’t be explicitly gay in the movie. This upset a lot of people, with many angry at JK Rowling for having said that Dumbledore was gay, but that as with the books not doing anything to actually show that.

However, now Yates has stepped forward to say that while he may not be explicitly gay, his sexuality will be ‘clear’.

He tell Empire, “In that earlier interview, I didn’t say Dumbledore’s not gay. He is. This part of this huge narrative that Jo is creating doesn’t focus on his sexuality, but we’re not airbrushing or hiding it… the story [of the romantic relationship] isn’t there in this particular movie but it’s clear in what you see… that he is gay. A couple of scenes we shot are very sensual moments of him and the young Grindelwald.”

Indeed, it didn’t seem a coincidence that after the controversy, the last two trailers have included shots of Dumbledore looking longingly at Grindelwald in the Mirror Of Erised – the mirror that shows you what you desire the most. This seemed to be a way for those marketing the movie to show that the characters’ sexuality will be acknowledged, even if it isn’t the focus of the film. (It’s also worth noting that JK Rowling has suggested things may get more explicit in later instalments of what is planned as a series of five films).

Yates adds, “The story [of this film] is about other things, fundamentally, but the story of Grindelwald and Dumbledore, going forward, that is the story. I think people just have to wait and see and appreciate that in movies to come that relationship will be explored much more fully.”